Refrigerating apparatus.



J. F. WINKLER.

REFRIGEHATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION man DEc.4,1915.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. F. WINKLER.

REFHGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1915.

J. F. WINKLER.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

A FPLICATION FILED DEC-4. |915.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Yso

TOSEFH WINKLER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

nnrnronna'rme. APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed December 4, 1915. serial No. 65,127.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that ll, JOSEPH F. WINKLER, l

a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented the Refrigerating Apparatus of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates particularly to refrigerating machines of the compression type designed for house-hold use, one object being to so arrange and design the parts that the li ueied refrigerating medium will automatica ly pass from the condenser to the evaporating chamber, while said medium in gaseous` form is prevented from so passing, being retained in said condenser.

I further desire to provide a refrigerating machine in which the parts shall be so designed and arranged as to insure the proper lubrication of the movingelements, the arrangement being such that the lubricant is used at a low temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive form of domestic refrigerating machine 'which shall be capable of operating practically without attention and with a minimum liability of getting out of order.

l also 'desire that the machine constructs in accordance with this invention sli'all in.- clude means for freezing liquid contained in cans, said invention contemplating'a novel combination of evaporating chamber, brine tank and liquid containers for accomplishing this end.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, Vreference being had to the accompanying" drawings, in which, 'A

Figures l and 2 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of a refrigerating machine constructed according to my invention; Figs. 3 and"4 are vertical sections taken respectively on the ilines a-a, and Ab-b,

represents an nently closed, its otherwise open upper end 1s provided with a removable cover 4 and it Patented Nov. 23, 1916.

likewise has a side opening closed by a removable bearing structure 5.. Extending across the upper portion of Ithe container 1 is a partition 6 dividing it into two chambers of which the lower 2, as before indicated, constitutes the evaporating compartment while the upper 7 constitutes or forms part of a condenser.

The partition 6 is so designed as to 'provide at one side, preferably opposite the bearing 5,\a well 8 having within it an open top casing 9k for the reception of'an elongated loat 10. The lower part of the casing is attached to a short bushing l1 having in its upper part a valve seat 12` designed to coperate with a needle valve 13 carried by the lower end of the float 10, the arrangement being such that as said valve rises under the action of .a body of liquidwithin the -casing 9, the valve moves away from said seat and permits passage of liquid into the evaporating chamber, although when the#` level of said liquid has fallen a predeter- -mined distance,` the float, vwhich is guided in its movements by the casing 9, moves the 'Fig 2; and Fig. 5 is la horizontal section elongated container Amade of metal of Sulli-l cient structural stren h to withstand thev pressures existing un erfall conditions of operation. The lower portion 2 of' this con- Atainer constitutes an vevporating chamber and is of elongated cylin rical form. having longitudinally extending or otherwise suitably disposed radiating vanes or fins 3 pro-v jecting from its external surface. .,While the lower end of this container is pernavalve into engagement with the se'at to cut olf further flow of liquid.

, Preferably, though not necessarily, formed integral with the partition structure 6 isa central vertical extending pump cylinder 14 open at both ends although its upper end is normally closed by a valve y15, held seated on the' upper edge of the cylinder structure:l

by a spring 16. This latter is operative in a cavity formed in the cover 4 and true vertical movement of the valve is insured by its provision with a stem 17 which slides in said cavity and is hollowed for thereception of Vsaid spring. The cylinder 14 has operative withinv it a. tubular plunger 18 whose lower end is laterally extended to provide a head 19 having a laterally extending rectangular opening or slot for the reception of @rectangular block 20 slidably ,movable therein. This block .is held in place ononeside by the adjacent vertical face of the partition Gand on the opposite side by a crank 21 whose pin 22 extends through the block. Said crank is mounted on a driving shaft 23 journaled in the bearing structure 5 and having'outside of thecontainer 1 a pulley 24 driven from any suitable source of power. lt is noted that the bearing structure 5 has extending into it a cavity through its which the shaft passes and containing packing 25 held in place by a gland 26, so that escape of refrigerating medium along said shaft is effectuallyy prevented. That portion of the bearing structure which extends into the evaporating chamber 2 toward the crank 21, khas a cup-shaped hollow 27 formed in its upper portion and there are passages 28 leading from this hollow to thel journal in whichthe shaft 23 rotates.

The plunger 18 has a passage 30 extending longitudinally through it and opening into the rectangular slot 21 in the head 19 so that the block cannot close the entrance to the slot. The upper end of the passage 30v is formed with a seat for the reception of a valve 32 including an elongated stem guided in said passage and designed tov have Va limited vertical movement controlled by a pin 33, which is operative in slots in said stem, there being passages opening below the y valve from the interior of the stem.

For the purpose of supplying lubricant to the various moving parts, the plunger 18 is provided with a downward'extension 34 constituting an auxiliary plunger designed to operate in a cylinder 35 formed as part of` a casing 36 bolted or otherwise fixed within the evaporating chamber 2. Thelower end of this latter cylinder has connected to it an inlet or suction conduit 37 extending to within a short distance of the bottom of the evaporating chamber and there is also provided a check valve 38 whereby liquid entering the cylinder from said conduit is prevented from` returning through the latter. The casing 36 also has a passage 39 leading from the cylinder to a conduit 40 so placed as to discharge to a greater or less extent into the cup-shaped recess 27 and also on to the crank 2l and the lower end of the plunger 18. This passage 39 has a check valve 41 placed-adjacent the cylinder 35.

The upper part of the container 1 immediately below the driving shaft 23 is preferably formed with a laterally extending flange 42, from which depends'a thin metal casing 43 extending around-the lower portion of the evaporating chamber 2. As shown in Fig. 5, both iange and casing are extended at one side of the evaporating chamber to provide a space for the rception of elongated cans 44 having flanges at their upper ends. These cans project through openings in the flange 42 and are suspended by their flanges 45 within the space inclosed by the casing 43, which under conditions of operation is filledfwith brine.

ln the annular space above V'the partition 6 and surrounding the cylinder 14,1 mount a suitable length of pipe 46 in the form of a coil, whose ends 47 and 48 extend through the top of the cover 4 to which they are welded, soldered lor otherwise so connected as to form an absolutely tight and preferrelatively ably permanent joint. Said ends are connected respectively to a source of cold water supply and to a waste pipe or receptacle for the water used for condensation.

ln using my apparatus,l a quantity of suitable lubricant such as oil, is placed within the evaporating chamber 2, where it occupies the position indicated at a. There is also delivered to said ,chamber a quantity of liquefied ammonia or other refrigerating medium wf, while as above noted, the casing 43 is filled with brine. Since the upper part of the evaporating chamber is connected to ,the slotl 31 and passage 30 in the plunger 18,

the operation of said plunger by the shaft 23 and pulley wheel 24 continuously reduces the pressure in said chamber 2, causing the liquid w to evaporate. As a result, the brine in the container 43 is cooled by reason of the absorption of its heat and it not only cools thepspace in which the apparatus is mounted but so reduces the temperature of .liquid in the cans 44 as to cause it, in the case of water, to solidify.

The gasiiied refrigerating medium from the upper part of the evaporating chamber 2 raises the valve 32 on each down stroke of the plunger 18 and enters the cylinder 14 from which it is forced on the-succeeding upstroke past the valve 15 into the condensing chamber. As a consequence the gas is highly compressed in said chamber and is condensed fby the water or other cooling medium which is circulated through the coil 46, collecting in the casing 9 within thewell 8 and when in suiicient quantity, raising the float 10. This movement of said iioat lopens, thev valve 12 and permits the liquefied refrigerant to flow in a fine stream or jet into the evaporating chamber, where it `either collects in the bottom or is immeliquid or any escape of gas past said valve..

The pump formed by the plunger 34 and cylinder -35 under operating conditions draws the mixture of lubricant and refrigerant from the bottom of the evaporating chamber and delivers it through the conduit 40, whereby it is distributed to the cavity 27 and thence to the shaft 23 as well as to the crank and plunger. lt is noted that such lubricant is at a low temperature ow ing to its immersion in the liquid in the evaporating chamber, so that in addition to diminishing the friction between the parts to vwhich it is delivered, it maintains their temperature at a low point, ultimately flowing down Ythe walls of the evaporating chamber vand back to the bottom thereof from whence it is repeatedly drawn through the suction pipe 37, whose lower end eX- tends to Such a depth that it is always below the surface of the lubricant. By means of mechanism forming no part of the present invention, the compressor formed by the plunger 18 and cylinder 14.` is preferably started and stopped automatically, depending on the temperature of the brine in the casing 43 or the temperaturel of the space in which said casing is mounted.

It may be noted that the apparatus above described is relatively simple and compact, with the result that it is inexpensive to construct;l eiiicient in operation and capable of Vrunning for long periods without attention.

l. rlhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a container hav-ing condensing and evaporating chambers; a duct positioned to allow flow of liquid by gravity from the condensing to the evaporating chamber; a valve for said duct; and a iioat connected to the valve to open it when more and close it when less than a predetermined quantity of liquid is present in the condensing chamber.

2. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a casing having an evoporating chamber vand a condensing chamber, of which the latter includes a well having a passage into said first chamber; a valve for said passage; with a ioat guided in the well andf connected to open the valve onlyy when more than a predetermined body of liquid is present. j

3. rllhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a vertically elongated container;

a partition dividing said container into condensing and evaporating chambers, of which the former is above the latter; a conduit forcooling mediumin the condensing chamber; and means for automatically controlling the dow of liquid by gravity from the condensing chamber to the evaporating chamber..

` 4. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a vertically elongated container having a partition dividing it into condensing and evaporating chambers; a cylinder carried by said partition and opening into both of said chambers; a power driven plunger for said cylinder for drawing gas from the evaporating chamber and compressing it into the condensing chamber; with automatically acting means dependent for its action upon the quantity of liquid in said condensing chamber for controlling the iiow of such -liquid 'from the latter to the former chamber.

5. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a container having condensing and evaporating chambers; a cylinder opening into both of said chambers; a valve pump connected to circulate liquid refrigerant in said evaporating chamber.

7. 'llhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a container having condensing and evaporating chambers; a cylinder opening into the condensing chamber; a tubular plunger operative in the cylinder and having a head provided with a slot into which the plunger passage opens; a driving crank having a block slidable in the slot; a valve controlling the flow of gas through the plunger; and a second valve controlling the flow from the cylinder to the condensing chamber.

8. rlhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a container having a partition dividing it into two chambers having a direct connecting passage; an automatic valve controlling the flow of liquid through said passage; a cylinder carried bythe partition and extending-into one of the chambers; a cooling coil in the latter chamber mounted in the space ysurrounding the cylinder; a plunger operative vin the cylinder; and valves for ,controlling the How of Huid to and from the cylinder and between the chambers.

9. rlhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of an evaporating chamber provided with an apertured Harige; a brine-containing casing surrounding said chamber below the ange; and `a can for material to be cooled l0. rlhe combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a vertically elongated evaporating chamber having radial vanes; a brine containing casing surrounding said chamber and projecting at one side thereof; with an elongated can^or cans extending into the casing for containing liquid to be cooled. 11. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a condensing and an evaporating chamber; a pump for compressing refrigerant."y in the condensing chamber; a bodyA 'of lubricant and refrigerant in the bottom of the evaporating chamber; and a second pump having its inlet extended into said liquid and 'arranged to deliver the same to the first pump and walls of the evaporating chamber. i

12. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a vertically elongated conilo tainer vincluding condensing and evaporating chambers; a body of lubricant in the evaporating chamber; a pump for WithdraWing gaseous refrigerant from the evaporating chamber and liquefying it in the condensing chamber; With a second pump having an inlet'extended adjacent the bottom of the evaporating chamb'er and delivering lubricant and refrigerant to the movable parts of said first pump.

13. rlhe combination in refrigerating apparatus of a container including an evaporatingchamber having a body of lubricant and refrigerant therein and a condensing chamber; a cylinder opening into both of said chambers; a second cylinder havingl an intake 'pipe extending to the bottom of the evaporating chamber; plungers respectively operative in each of said cylinders; means for driving the plungers; and means for directing fluid from the second cylinder onto the plunger of the first cylinder and onto the Walls of the evaporating chamber.

14'. The combination --in refrigerating l apparatus of a container having its lo-Wer portion formed to receive liquid refrigerant and a body of lubricating liquid; mechanism for compressing said refrigerant from the lower to the upper part of the container; with a pum-p having an inlet placed to' receive the mixture of lubricant and refrigerant from the loWer chamber and provided With an outlet passage to deliver such mix- 

